TECNA NOTES

TECNA Member Spotlight - April 2015: Dhruv Patel

Dhruv Patel, Director of Investor Relations, Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED)

Bio: Dhruv Patel is the Director of Investor Relations at the Council for Entrepreneurial Development - the largest and longest-running network for tech-based companies in the country. He has been working with North Carolina entrepreneurs for over 10 years. In his current role, Dhruv is responsible for the building key relationships with leading investors including venture funds, angel investors and strategics around the country.

Prior to CED, he was a part of launch team for the Piedmont Triad Entrepreneurs Network and was a Licensing Associate at UNCG’s Office of Innovation Commercialization, which evaluates the commercial feasibility of technologies. Prior to arriving in North Carolina, Dhruv was a part of ICICI Bank’s sales team in Mumbai, India.

He currently serves on the Board of Advisors of Rex Health Ventures – a $10 million strategic investment fund that invests in healthcare. In addition, he served on the Leadership Council of Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, a grant making foundation supporting public education, community-based economic development, environmental sustainability and racial & gender equality in NC. 

 

What is the most notable change that has impacted your members during your tenure at the CED? How has CED responded to this challenge/opportunity?

As our entrepreneurial community has grown we’ve seen a number of great resources emerge to help early-stage startups gain a foothold and have a shot at success.  What CED has noticed is that there isn’t much formal support for companies who are scaling up from that startup phase.  Those scaleups are where we really start to see the economic and other benefits of successful entrepreneurship, so CED has decided to step in and become a resource for those “scaleup” companies.  We’re leveraging our network to help these companies form better relationships with investors, especially those who are out-of-market, and we’re helping to promote companies and our entrepreneurial ecosystem to national media and other audiences.  CED is perfectly positioned to fill this role as a connecting network, helping companies with traction to take that next step and truly build out our entrepreneurial community in North Carolina. 

 

What is one program you’re most proud of at your organization? Why?

Our two marquee conferences, Tech Venture and Life Science, have really grown over the past few years and now attract national attention from media, investors, companies, and entrepreneurs.  The Life Science Conference counts over 30% of its attendees from out of state and Tech Venture has become a key showcase event in the Southeast where companies are announcing product releases, partnerships, and other key milestones.  We see these events continuing to grow in both attendance and prestige over the next few years.

 

Name one way you’ve changed your work based upon something not going as well as you hoped the first time?

The best thing you can do as an organization like ours is to “talk to your customer.”  Our main customer is the entrepreneur, so we are constantly engaged in dialogue with them and adjusting our approach and offerings based on their feedback.

 

Name one tool, website, app, etc that you find very helpful professionally.

We have transitioned our entire database and many of our operations to salesforce.com and it has transformed our organization.  It’s rare for a non-profit to be data-driven but we have embraced that strategy using Salesforce and we’re already seeing results – becoming a more efficient, outcomes-based organization.

 

When you’re not working diligently on behalf of your members, what do you do for fun in your spare time?

I enjoy running.  I also enjoy a good quality beer… usually post-run.

TECNA Highlights - September 2014

Dear TECNA members,

September has been a busy month for Community of Interest (COI) webinars. Don’t forget, the Events COI meets September 25 at 2pm CDT. Register here.  Additionally, the STEM/Workforce COI highlighting Code.org resources and Membership COI talking about alternative membership models are now available for playback.

Starting next month, the TECNA Digest, among other things, will have a new look. The board just approved TECNA’s new brand and you’ll get to see it in action in October!

TECNA’s National Survey of Technology, Policies and Strategic Issues is off to a great start with 35 councils confirming participation – a 21% increase over last year! If you’re still interested in participating, please let me know. This survey, supported by CompTIA, will deploy October 20. We’ll announce findings the first week of December.

We are also entering the final phase of our Software Skills Development research being conducted with the University of Phoenix. Approximately 12 industry professionals will participate in a virtual roundtable next month. The qualitative findings will be released afterwards with a combined report including our recently released survey data.

Until next month,

Bob Moore, CAE

Executive Director, TECNA

TECNA Member Spotlight - September 2014

Alex Rodriguez, Vice President, Southern Arizona Regional Office, Arizona Technology Council

Bio:

Alex Rodriguez was recently promoted to Vice President of the Arizona Technology Council and leads the Southern Arizona Regional Offices.  He joined the council as Director 2 years ago and has not looked back in growing the brand, influence and value proposition of the tech council in Southern Arizona.  Alex holds his master's degree from Harvard University and a BA from the University of Arizona.  An Army ROTC graduate of New Mexico Military Institute, Alex served as a Captain in the U.S. Army with deployment to Bosnia over the millennium and worked at the Pentagon under President Clinton.

Alex held several business leadership roles in three fortune 100 companies including Raytheon prior to joining the tech council.  He was elected to serve on the Governing Board for the Tucson Unified School District and was a one-time candidate for U.S. Congress in 2006.  He is a frequent speaker on business leadership effectiveness, was recognized by the Arizona Daily Star as a 40 Under 40 leader and selected by Latino Leaders National Magazine as a Top 20 Latino Leader in Arizona.  He is an Amazon Best-Selling Co-Author with legendary Brian Tracy of Counter-Attack, Business Strategies for Explosive Growth in the New Economy by Celebrity Press Publishing.

 

Having recently attended the TECNA Summer Conference, what was your biggest take-away and how will you use this insight in your organization?

The TECNA Summer Conference was highly impactful and empowering.  All staff members who work in technology associations should attend next summer as the experience provides a strong framework by which to gauge how effective you are in comparison with other similar associations TECNA-wide.  You pick up gems and best practices left and right!  At TECNA, professionals genuinely work to help each other get better across the board.

It is indispensable training and the networking is unmatched for those of us running technology trade associations.  My single biggest take-away was the use of storytelling when it comes to selling our value proposition and new membership.  The Monday upon return from TECNA, I landed a coveted new member who we have pursued for years by utilizing the storytelling methodology that Adrain Davis taught us!  My hats off to Adrian!  Please bring him back.

 

What is the most notable change that has impacted your members during your tenure at the Arizona Technology Council (ATC)? How has ATC responded to this challenge/opportunity?

The most notable change is and continues to be the broader economic challenges that are still underway as the Economic Recovery improves.  Confidence in new revenue growth is vital for our members and it determines in large part the amount of dollars they are willing to set aside for membership, sponsorship, etc.  The biggest single factor that we have lead to impact decision-makers is to raise the perceived value and brand of our organization by executing a number of value-driven events, actions, committees, etc to be seen as a key driver for their business growth.  We have to lead change or change will lead us.  Examples range from new events to new ways of thinking that add increasing value to our members.

 

What is one program you’re most proud of at your organization? Why?

I am most proud of our Tucson Ambassadors program.  Volunteers from regional member companies serve tirelessly to help me execute our programming and they tout the countless membership benefits to everyone they know.  I've never seen such dedicated commitment by a small group of volunteers out to help transform and improve our region's economy through technology innovation and improved membership value in everything we do.

If anyone would like tips and tricks for launching or revitalizing your Ambassadors program, shoot me an email or pick up the phone.  520-275-0519 or [email protected].

 

Name one way you’ve changed your work based upon something not going as well as you hoped the first time? In other words, what would you recommend to someone doing similar work so they learn from your previous experience?

Membership turnout at our over 150 events per year statewide and approximately 50 or so events in Southern Arizona either breed confidence or a lack there.  With so much else competing for our member’s time and attention, it is imperative that our events are flawless and value-added each and every time.  So I shifted the way I held the first couple events when I was new on the job by focusing more on showering warranted attention and due recognition upon our members.  They love it, need it and thrive on getting even a small boost of recognition before other members because it helps them achieve their business objectives.  We are here to serve them and their needs and not the other way around.  It boils down to improving leadership skills to have more positive impact!

Second, embracing use of local media by conducting radio, TV and print interviews from time to time has helped attract new members and position the tech council as a key influencer in the business community.  I highly recommend you provide relevant content for the media to cover your organization today!

 

Name one tool, website, app, etc that you find very helpful professionally.

Linkedin is a powerhouse for developing local leads for membership growth.  Having said that, I am working to master use of this tool to fully leverage its impact on our organization here in Southern Arizona.

 

When you’re not working diligently on behalf of your members, what do you do for fun in your spare time?

My wife Claudia and I love taking our six-year-old daughter Emi Sofia to University of Arizona events including football games!  Emi Sofia loves the excitement and always manages to lead cheering fans with her Arizona Wildcats cheerleader uniform!  "Bear Down Arizona!"  Check out the pic for fun!

TECNA Member Spotlight - July 2014

Axah McCalla, Director of Membership & Sponsorship, Tampa Bay Technology Forum (TBTF)

Bio: After studying Communications and Business at the University of Kansas, Axah went on to get her Masters in Sports Management. She worked for a few years in positions varying from a personal banker to working with the Australian Football League in Sydney, Australia. She finally found her way to Tampa, Florida in 2010 when she began working with the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team. She got her start in the Technology Industry in 2012 with a Digital Solutions company, evaluating her clients’ needs from large scale robust solutions for clients like AARP to small digital business solutions for citrus farmers. With the desire to learn more about the technology environment and find a way to make a larger impact philanthropically, Axah joined TBTF in 2013 as the Director of Membership and Sponsorship.

Having recently attended the TECNA Summer Conference, what was your biggest take-away and how will you use this insight in your organization?

Thought Leadership was one of the most insightful ideas I pulled from the conference. TBTF needs to further enhance ourselves as Thought Leaders for all topics tech related. We want all local media and government to consider us a go-to resource for national and international technology information.

What is the most notable change that has impacted your members during your tenure at the Tampa Bay Technology Forum? How has TBTF responded to this challenge/opportunity?

The most notable change was cutting our number of events from 70 to 35. By decreasing the number of events and focusing on improving them, we have increased the number of attendees and quality of the events. Sponsors can now see more value in our events and we are able to deliver a stronger ROI while reducing our overall event expenses.

What is one program you’re most proud of at your organization? Why?

Code Club is part of our initiative to foster a better future for Tampa Bay’s at-risk youth. We teach valuable coding and computer science skills to children in impoverished school districts. Many of the children had no access to computers prior to Code Club, but now express interests in working as a programmer for companies like Nintendo and Apple when they finish school.

Name one way you’ve changed your work based upon something not going as well as you hoped the first time? In other words, what would you recommend to someone doing similar work so they learn from your previous experience?

Recently, there has been a lot of transition within our organization affecting our existing sponsor agreements. I would recommend that when an organization is facing transition, it is critical to understand the thought process of your former team member and evaluate what had enabled them to be successful or not. The new team member must also be willing to account for any steps that may have been missed along the way. Gaining this insight is critical to the success of the association’s sales team, the sponsor, and the team members coordinating the event. 

Name one tool, website, app, etc that you find very helpful professionally.

I currently utilize Evernote for a variety of tasks, it allows me to record, photograph and organize my notes, expense receipts and tasks.  I also utilize CamScanner while on the go. It gives my smartphone the ability of a scanner, offering options to turn a file into a PDF and enhance clarity of the scanned image if needed.

When you’re not working diligently on behalf of your members, what do you do for fun in your spare time? 

In my spare time, I enjoy volunteering as an Executive Committee board member at the YMCA, traveling, creating allergy friendly meals, practicing pilates and going to the beach.

TECNA Highlights - June 2014

Dear TECNA Members,

The Summer Conference is just a few weeks away, and excitement continues to build. I am thrilled to report that 37 of our 50 member organizations are currently registered. If you are new on staff or plan to attend, there is still time to register. Check our website for new lodging information as the host hotel is sold out.

This month we launched our annual TECNA member survey. CEO’s, or their #2 designee, are requested to complete this important survey by June 27. Benchmarking and trending data will be presented at the Summer Conference.

In partnership with the University of Phoenix and our members, we launched an important workforce survey that will identify professional skills for critical roles in software development. Results will be shared at the Summer Conference and used by our organization and others interested in helping industry-wide efforts to close talent gaps in the technology industry.  There is still time to ask your members to complete this survey. The survey will close on June 27.  Tweet this out “Calling managers & above that employ software developers/software engineers. Survey extended til 6/27 http://svy.mk/1nlNpCv”

A few TECNA workgroups have completed their work over the last month. First, the Board approved their new board policy and financial manuals that were generated with the support of the TECNA Governance Task Force. The TECNA Annual Member Survey Task Force worked tirelessly to focus the survey by reducing the questions in half. And last, but not least, our first Nominating Committee met and has identified a slate of candidates for open board positions. These will be presented to the members on July 18 for approval. A heartfelt thanks to the members of each group for their insights, time, and energy.

Last week, the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) attended the White House Maker Faire event to talk about a cooperative arrangement with TECNA.  The ASTC/TECNA “Making it Real!” Initiative will be designed to facilitate more hands-on experiences at science centers and museums and to draw young students closer to the individuals and organizations that are the targets of their growing interests in science. If your organization is interested in working with a local science center by provided a volunteer expert to speak, among other options, please email me at [email protected].

See you in Montréal,

Bob Moore, CAE 

Executive Director, TECNA

TECNA Member Spotlight - June 2014

Cindy Pearson, Chief Operations Officer, BC Technology Industry Association

Bio:  Cindy has a 15-year history working in technology associations and non-profits. Most recently she is celebrating 10 years with the BCTIA, as Chief Operating Officer. While her official title may be COO, BCTIA likes to think of her as the glue that holds everything together. From managing day-to-day operations to stakeholder collaboration and policy development, Cindy wears many hats, and she wears them all well. Prior positions include: Communitech (VP), SMART Toronto (CEO), Mondex Canada (Marketing Manager), Government of Ontario (Premier’s Initiatives, and Chief of Staff to the Minister of Environment & Energy).

 

What is the most notable change that has impacted your members during your tenure at the BCTIA? How has BCTIA responded to this challenge/opportunity?

The BCTIA is in its 20^th year, and has “grown up” alongside the technology industry.   Like so many of our members, the organization has weathered two significant economic happenings, the Dot-com crash and the 2008 economic downturn.  Members today have higher expectations of organizations like ours.  They want more impactful engagement, with programs and services that deliver tangible results to their company and employees.   

 

Over the past several years, the BCTIA has been shifting its business model to an ‘enabling organization’ focusing on the growth of tech companies through the delivery of direct programs and services designed for companies of all sizes in every sectors.    

 

What is one program you’re most proud of at your organization? Why?

The BCTIA Centre4Growth, a virtual incubator for early-stage tech companies.  Launched in the fall of 2010, it was the first of its kind in British Columbia and a significant game changer for the BCTIA.  To date, Centre4Growth has supported almost 450 client companies.  Information about Centre4Growth and the success of our clients at:  www.bctia.org/centre4growth/results. 

 

What are you hoping to learn from your TECNA colleagues to help grow your organization?

I’ve been a member of TECNA since 1999 and have attended almost all of the summer conferences.  Each year, I look forward to reconnecting with my ‘old’ TECNA buddies and meeting new ones.  The peer networking has delivered significant value to me over the years.  I always leave the conference with new ideas, friends, and fresh perspectives.  

 

Name one way you’ve changed your work based upon something not going as well as you hoped the first time?

A plaque hangs in my office that says, “The one who says it can’t be done is generally passed by someone doing it.”  Ask ‘why not’, identify real barriers from those fueled by fear of change or lack of knowledge, listen to my spidey-sense, trust my gut, and never be afraid to ask for the sale. 

 

Name one tool, website, app, etc that you find very helpful professionally.

Not possible to have just one tool, here are my top 3: Salesforce, LinkedIn and Google.

 

When you’re not working diligently on behalf of your members, what do you do for fun in your spare time? 

I am blessed to live in one of the most beautiful places in Canada.  Vancouver, British Columbia has so much to see and offer.  After 10 years I’m still a tourist, exploring the city and province.

TECNA Highlights - May 2014

Dear TECNA,

With Summer, and our Summer Conference, quickly approaching, I want to celebrate surpassing last year’s conference total registration at the close of the early bird deadline. More than 100 staff, representing 35 of 50 councils will be in attendance. There is still time to register if you haven’t yet done so.

Please help me thank the University of Phoenix who has signed on as TECNA’s Education Partner. Through this relationship, we will be conducting a series of research projects intended to assess the workforce skills gap and identify professional competencies for critical roles in software development. We ask that all councils help in disseminating this to a segment of your members by June 9. The deadline to complete is June 22. Please email me with your staff contact who should receive the pre-developed survey materials for distribution. We hope you will enjoy being able to use this research in furthering your regional workforce efforts.

Taking into account feedback about our TECNA Annual Member Survey, the Board has appointed a task force to review and refine this survey. Since TECNA is currently rebranding and will need input from the membership, there will be two, shorter surveys launched over the next several weeks. This is being done to make better use of member’s time and focus on specific topics. Thanks in advance for your insights and participation.

The Nominations Committee held their first call to prepare for selecting and proposing a slate of candidates for our upcoming Board of Director terms. If you are a C-Suite executive, or equivalent, who serves as a primary point person for TECNA, and have an interest in learning more/being considered for one of the three open positions, please email Bob Moore.

With more than 1/3 of members not hosting a web-based job board to help support companies workforce development efforts, and about another third using their CRM to post jobs, TECNA has partnered with TechFetch to offer a no-cost solution that generates non-dues revenue. If you missed the webinar that details this opportunity, view the recording and resources here. Thank you TechFetch for being TECNA’s Technology Job Platform Partner!

In our continued efforts to collect and disseminate best practices, the STEM Community of Interest held a best practice webinar earlier this month. View the recording and materials. They also launched a survey to collect STEM, workforce and education benchmarking information among the councils. There is still time to take the survey by May 30. The Events Community of Interest kicked off with their first call on May 22. Check out the Communities of Interest pages for upcoming calls and webinars.

Last but not least, congratulations to the Chattanooga Technology Council for being selected as the 2015 CEO Retreat Host. The Board is still reviewing Summer Conference options. Additional information will be announced at the Summer Conference. Thanks to everyone who has expressed interest!

Best,

Bob Moore, CAE 

Executive Director, TECNA

 

TECNA Highlights - April 2014

Dear TECNA,

It's finally starting to feel like Spring here in Chicago. If not already, I hope you're starting to enjoy the change of season as well. Speaking of seasons, please remember to register for the TECNA Summer Conference by May 15 which is the deadline for hotel registration and our early bird registration savings. 

 

We recently held a membership best practice webinar and you may now access the resources and recording if you missed it.  Check out our upcoming STEM best practice webinar on May 2, Workforce Community of Interest (COI) Call on May 8 and Events COI call on May 22.  

 

At the end of March we held a very successful CEO Retreat where we unveiled a virtual CEO Tool Box of "turn key" programs that may be replicated by our members. A special thanks to NCTA and CED for hosting a terrific event! Here, we also held a special Board meeting where the Board of Directors adopted new bylaws and in so doing a new governance structure that will better position TECNA to be flexible and nimble in meeting our strategic objectives moving forward.

 

This PowerPoint summarizes the key changes, but in summary, every member organization’s CEO used to serve on TECNA’s board. Now the Board of Directors is comprised of 13 members (formerly known as the Executive Committee), including five officers (now known as the Executive Committee). Another notable change is that each organization can appoint a C-Suite or equivalent staff member to represent the organization when voting on open director and officer positions. All member meetings and other insight gathering opportunities will continue to ensure that member voices are heard. On last week's Board call, they approved a slate of nominees for the newly created Nominating Committee which will developed a slate of candidates for open director and officer positions at the July member meeting. Thank you to the task force and Erik Grimmelmann and Steve Zylstra for co-chairing.    

 

If you and your organization would like to be considered to host a 2015 TECNA event (I.e. CEO Retreat, Summer Conference), please complete this survey by May 5. Preview the survey is attached so that you can preview the questions before submitting online. Read the overview of roles and responsibilities of host locations and the support that TECNA provides.

 

Best,

 

Bob Moore, CAE 

Executive Director, TECNA

TECNA Member Spotlight - April 2014

Loren Spoklie, Technology Communication Specialist, Utah Technology Council (UTC)

Bio: Loren Spoklie has been Utah Technology Council’s Technology Communications Specialist since February of 2011.   In this role, he manages UTC’s technology needs, which include: website design and content, database management, event marketing and emails, project management and local support for UTC staff.

Loren has over 12 years of technology and sales experience gained from working with companies such as Qwest, Verizon Wireless and Tektronix.  Loren has studied many computer languages and enjoys dabbling in new technologies.

Loren has a B.S. in Technical Management from DeVry University. 

 

What is one program you’re most proud of at your organization? Why?

I am most proud of our C-level forums.  They provide a way for our C-level members to gain knowledge by sharing best practices and forming relationships that help them become better at their specific roles.

 

What are you hoping to learn from your TECNA colleagues to help grow your organization?

I would like to learn how they use their website analytics, how they get their members engaged in using their website and best practices for rolling out new features to members and tracking the success.

 

Name one way you’ve changed your work based upon something not going as well as you hoped the first time?

I have changed the way I develop content for our website.  The key is to always keep it simple, the more complex it is for people to use the less people will use it.  You can keep it simple by always asking these questions:  Who is my audience?  What is the purpose of this content?  Why is this important?  What action do I want them to take?  Is it easy to access? Why? Why Not?

If you can answer these questions, your content will be relevant to your audience and easy for them to access.

 

Name one tool, website, app, etc that you find very helpful professionally.

In my role, the most helpful tool is Crystal Reports.  I am able to write reports that pull the data from our database and transform it into content that can be digested and used to improve the way we do business.

 

When you’re not working diligently on behalf of your members, what do you do for fun in your spare time?

Spending time with my family, fishing, bike riding and learning new technologies.

TECNA Highlights - March 2014

Dear TECNA,

Next week, March 26-28, the North Carolina Technology Association and Council for Entrepreneurial Development will serve as hosts for 30 executives registered to attend our CEO Retreat. I’ll report out highlights in next month’s update including the results of a virtual turn key toolbox that is being developed for our member CEOs.

Looking ahead to our next program, please remember to register for the TECNA Summer Conference. May 15 is the deadline for hotel registration and our early bird registration savings.

Over the next few months our Communities of Interest (COI) will have several engagement opportunities. Check out information about the STEM, Workforce, Membership, and Events COIs for updates and to sign up to participate in future calls. The Membership COI will host a best practice webinar on April 15.

Work is well underway to move forward a few of our 2014 priorities. Eleven RFPs were received to support TECNA’s rebranding and web redesign projects. Over the next few weeks the vendor(s) will be selected and timelines developed to meet our launch dates.  If you have an interest to volunteer with our branding and web redesign efforts, please email me. 

We are also currently collecting letters of interest from vendors interested in supporting our State of the Industry Report to assess the impact of the North American technology industry (specifically the U.S. and Canada) across a number of indicators at both the national and state/provincial level. A formal RFP will be launched in April to collect final bid information.

I’d like to thank all members who provided feedback on the proposed North American Awards Gala. At this time, we did not have the commitment level to move forward with the gala as proposed. The Task Force will reconvene this spring to explore alternative approaches for future consideration.

Over the last few weeks I’ve also had the privilege of meeting with several TECNA member organizations. From February 26-28 I traveled to Ottawa for a Canadian Policy Forum with participation from five TECNA member organizations including BCTIA, Communitech, ICTAM, Tech Southeast, and AQT. I also joined the Austin Technology Council with their participation in South By Southwest’s Interactive Festival.

Last but not least, TECNA is excited to welcome our newest member, the Yukon Information Technology and Industry Society. Welcome aboard!

Best Regards,

Bob Moore, CAE

TECNA, Executive Director